Nothing - absolutely nothing - can substitute for a good night's sleep.
I wrote the last post coming off of a four hour night (compounded with a few bad nights before). I struggled all day to be half of a good person. By evening, I was beating myself up that I should be able to will myself to function no matter how tired I might be.
That night, I fell asleep at 8 PM. I woke up the following morning at 6 AM as happy and cheerful as can be. On Sunday, I devoted 98% of my energy to stabilizing my mood. After a good night's sleep, I only needed to allot maybe 2% to mood stabilization and I had the rest to contribute to my day and my kids.
So maybe instead of trying to teach my daughter that she can overcome fatigue and plow through with a smile on, I should teach her how to prioritize her sleep so she can try to avoid getting overtired in the first place! (Easier said than done, huh?)
I would cherish your ability ( and opportunities) to get a good night of sleep. I know that if I fall asleep before 10, I am bound to wake up at some point in the middle of the night and be unable to fall back asleep.
ReplyDeleteIf your kids can "sleep it off" or just be able to doze as they see fit, it is a special gift.